Hmm...Saturday morning paper browsing

[mstakenidentity]

Age article spruiking Castlemaine as "New Northcote North"

Actually, that sounds like a place both mc_shamo and I could get jobs one we're finished our Masters (Especially if the shift of Melbourne people is displacing locals- they'll need social workers! Who've moved from Melbourne! Wait a minute...) And those housing prices look more affordable than anywhere livable in the inner city. The houses look alright too!

Now, to convince everyone else they either want to live there or buy a weekend retreat there... (or come and crash on our couch for the weekend, then we can come crash on yours when we come back to Melbourne!)

Dreams, plots, plans, fun. :-)

Comments

[mc-shamo.livejournal.com]

Castlemaine's a nice town. Not too yuppie yet. Hasn't gone the way if daylesford...

[fnoo.livejournal.com]

Healesville, Sassafras, and a couple of towns that stopped existing earlier this year.

Or even further out. If I could do it, I would.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

Beautiful areas.

The key phrases that made me pick Castlemaine were "new highway to Melbourne", "Arts precinct" and the idea that if people are moving there from Northcote areas they are probably bringing the good coffee with them. Plus the bushland and mountains and stuff...

However, the one thing that can't be brought is the sea, and I'm not sure I can see Kate settling anywhere not near that :-(

[fnoo.livejournal.com]

Our win-the-lottery plans include places like Lorne and Apollo Bay. Next to the sea, and hills to keep me happy.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

I have an idea! You guys win the lorrery and settle in Lorne, we'll settle in Castlemaine. We will stay in your spare room on weekends during summer and you shall stay in ours' during winter. In spring and autumn we'll simply crash someone's Melbourne place.

And there will be kittens, and puppies.

[clappamungus.livejournal.com]

Nice town, not too far away from Melbourne...on the way to Eva's dad's place in Baringhup.

Yeah, it could be nice!

You do realise, though, that it will turn into Daylesford soon.

[mstakenidentity.livejournal.com]

If we buy before the prices rise, and any tourists or weekenders bring in jobs in galleries and theatres and bring expectations of good coffee I'm okay with that. I can go around moaning about how the place has gone all yuppie and it wasn't like that when we moved here, oh no...

[clappamungus.livejournal.com]

Hm. Actually, that's one reason to not go there until the yuppie invasion, or time it just before the yuppie invasion: The coffee's fucking terrible. Seriously, I've never had a decent coffee there.

Oh well, I suppose you can still buy decent ground stuff from the supermarket.

[asmodel.livejournal.com]

Hey, Castlemaine is one of the places I've been considering.

[sylver-spiders.livejournal.com]

And train from Spencer Street only takes 1.5 hours, so it's a better option than many Melbourne suburbs.

[nearlyalegume.livejournal.com]

Amen to this. Avoid anywhere that is VLine train inaccessible. Down Wonthaggi way is visually stunning, but you can't get in or out unless you have a car.

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

... when it's running on time :/
Are the V/line trains as bad as the ones I find on the Epping line?

[sylver-spiders.livejournal.com]

When I had to commute from there for a couple of weeks it was on time every day. That was several years ago, though.

Currently I'm not really using it regularly enough to comment, though I have usually found it to be reliable.